Friday, May 23, 2008

I have enjoyed articles written by Bruce Fein for several years. They appear with regularity in the Washington Times, and I usually agree with his opinions on most issues – including global warming, the ineptitude of George W. Bush, the hopeless war in Iraq, and others. I've admired and appreciated his frank and honest style, his insider points of view, his astute perceptions, and his complex analysis on a variety of subjects. After all, he is a former Associate Deputy Attorney General for the United States; his credibility is based on a record of sound public service.

I've completely changed my mind about Bruce Fein, however, and don't see how I can ever read him again. In fact I'm sure I won't, and I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. Why? I recently discovered that he is now selling his services to the LTTE – writing out-and-out lies about the need for setting up an independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka. In a statement issued on May 22nd he says that "Tamil Statehoodsolution would be saluted by international law, practice, and human rights, and would bring the war to a close." He even goes so far as to compare the Tamil "cause" to the "suffering American colonists...under British tyranny." He also claims the 1948 Sri Lankan constitution disenfranchised the Tamils – when, in fact, one of the leading constitutional committee members was a Tamil statesmen who actually wrote it! What a load of "you know what"!

To me now, Bruce Fein represents everything bad about corrupt Washington politics, those influence peddlers called "lobbyists," and the unscrupulous public relations firms they hire as mercenaries. I've heard that Mr. Fein and his Lichfield Group gets a retainer fee of $100,000 per month – literally blood money – to represent the murderous LTTE terrorists in Washington (a group that is banned by the US State Department) and be its mouthpiece to the Western media. He was paid up front three months in advance - $300,000 – money raised by LTTE supporters in the US. It's aknown fact that such funding for the LTTE comes from drugs, extortion, illegal weapons, and other nefarious sources, but money talks, and Bruce Fein has a new client. He might as well put on fishnet stockings and stiletto heels and sell his services on the street corner.

Does anyone understand how dangerous this Bruce Fein man has become? As an American I am ashamed that a fellow countryman could so blatantly sell himself to known terrorists that are responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children. Bruce Fein used to write articles against the LTTE – now they are his client. How does peace have a snowball's chance in a world where money can buy theconscience of a man with such a high and distinguished reputation? I should say former high reputation, since as far as I'm concerned it's not worth anything now.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The Sri Lanka Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has taken the first step towards launching Sri Lanka’s first satellite.

TRC Director General Priyantha Kariyaperuma said two engineers had gone to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) based in Geneva for registration purposes. He said the satellite would be named after science fiction Guru the late Sir Arthur C. Clarke.

Mr. Kariyaperuma said Sri Lanka was among the few countries which did not have a satellite network in the Asian region. Sri Lanka has been late by 50 years to venture into this satellite technology,” he said.

Mr. Kariyaperuma said the TRC hoped to launch the satellite network within the next two years though no timeframe had been fixed for the project.

He said the TRC hoped to get support from countries like China and Japan to construct and launch the satellite.

The satellite is expected to fulfil the telecommunication needs of the Sri Lankan people while there are possibilities of sharing information within the SAARC region, he said.

Colombo, May 20 (IANS) The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Tuesday inaugurated a milk chilling centre in Sri Lanka's Eastern Batticaloa where it has provided assistance to war-affected dairy farmers like constructing cattle sheds and training farmers in animal health and business planning.

Michael E. Hess, assistant administrator for USAID's Bureau of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance in Washington, inaugurated Tuesday a milk chilling centre at Vellaveli in Batticaloa, on the site where the original structure was completely destroyed in 1990 due to war, a statement from the US Embassy here said.

Nearly 2,000 households in the area have benefited by this assistance.

'As part of the project, through a grant to international NGO World Concern and in partnership with Milco Private Ltd., USAID constructed 40 cattle sheds and five milk collection points, provided 300 milk cans and trained 160 farmers in feeding technologies, animal health and business planning,' the US Embassy statement said.

'USAID hopes that by supporting the livelihood of these farmer families it can help build confidence and restore normalcy to this formerly conflict-affected area,' Hess was quoted as saying at the opening ceremony.

Claiming that the dairy sector holds great promise for improving the livelihood of thousands of Sri Lanka farmers throughout the island, especially in conflict-affected areas such as the districts of Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee, Hess vowed that the USAID 'will continue to work with farmers in the East, with the private sector and with the Sri Lankan government to establish conditions that will fuel growth in this key sector for years to come.

According to World Concern statistics, total milk production in the Vellaveli catchment area during April 2008 - after training had completed, and when the chilling centre unofficially reopened for business - was at least 50 percent higher than during the months of April in each of the previous four years.

After the government troops cleared the former rebel strongholds in the East last year, the government held the maiden provincial council poll May 10.

The US assistance has been announced a couple of days before the councillors resume their maiden council.

JERUSALEM - President Bush, addressing the Israeli parliament at a time celebrated by Israelis and mourned by Palestinians, today will remind Israelis that Americans rose first to the recognition of the new independent state of Israel 60 years ago and now remain "Israel's closest ally and best friend in the world.''

Bush also will denounce the aims of Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, as well as Hezbollah, which Israel has battled within Lebanon - both groups backed by Iran and Syria. The delineation between the tenets of democracy in Israel and the practice of terrorism by its enemies, he will say, frame the debate of the times in the Middle East, a struggle between freedom and tyranny.

"We believe that free people should strive and sacrifice for peace,'' Bush will say. "So we applaud the courageous choices Israel's leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction.''

The president, while holding out hope that Palestinians and Israelis will live side-by-side in peace 60 years from now, will avert any talk about the details of talks under way now between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

"He's focused on the long-term goal, what the region will look like 60 years from now,'' says Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the National Security Council. "It's not about the nitty gritty.''

How can Bush hold out hope of that two-state vision 60 years from now, in light of the difficulty of the negotiations under way today?

"Unless you are optimistic about the future, then you have no hope that this will succeed,'' Johndroe says. "If you don't set out a goal for what the region should look like, then what's the point of anyone sitting down to talk at all.?''

In this month of celebrations in Israel, today is the day that Palestinians mark as their own loss of a homeland at Israel's creation -- the Nakba, or catastrophe.

Bush's remarks on this journey are aimed squarely at Israel's anniversary, and its future - while holding out hope for the creation of an independent Palestine state. He has pushed for an agreement on the contours of a new state by the end of his term, though this appears unlikely in the context of continuing violence here and political turmoil within the governments.

"This is a bold vision,'' Bush will say of the "two-state solution'' that he has articulated for several years now, "and some will say it can never be achieved. But think about what we have witnessed in our own time.''

The president, a born-again Christian who reveres this place as not only a strategic U.S. ally but also as the Holy Land, will strike a decidedly religious tone with his address to the Knesset about one hour from now.

"The alliance between our governments is unbreakable, yet the source of our friendship runs deeper than any treaty,'' the president will say. "It is grounded in the shared spirit of our people, the bonds of the Book, the ties of the soul. When William Bradford stepped off the Mayflower in 1620, he quoted the words of Jeremiah: 'Come let us declare in Zion the word of God. The founders of my country saw a new promised land and bestowed upon their towns names like Bethlehem and New Canaan. And in time, many Americans became passionate advocates for a Jewish state.''

"We have been deeply moved by the celebrations of the past two days,'' Bush plans to say, according to remarks released by the White House this morning, "And this afternoon, I am honored to stand before one of the world's great democratic assemblies and convey the wishes of the American people.''

"It is a rare privilege for an American president to address the Knesset,'' he will say. "Although the prime minister told me there is something even rarer - to have just one person in this chamber speaking at a time.

"My only regret is that one of Israel's greatest leaders is not here to share the moment. He is a warrior for the ages, a man of peace, and a dear friend. The prayers of all Americans are with Ariel Sharon.

" We gather to mark a momentous occasion. Sixty years ago in Tel Aviv, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel's independence, founded on the "natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate." What followed was more than the establishment of a new country. It was the redemption of an ancient promise given to Abraham, Moses, and David - a homeland for the chosen people in Eretz Yisrael.

"Eleven minutes later, on the orders of President Harry Truman, the United States was proud to be the first nation to recognize Israel's independence,'' Bush will say, an historical note that he also struck in a 60th anniversary celebration gala last night at a convention center that had the air of an Academy Awards ceremony. "And on this landmark anniversary, America is proud to be Israel's closest ally and best friend in the world.

"The alliance between our governments is unbreakable, yet the source of our friendship runs deeper than any treaty,'' the president will say. "It is grounded in the shared spirit of our people, the bonds of the Book, the ties of the soul. When William Bradford stepped off the Mayflower in 1620, he quoted the words of Jeremiah: "Come let us declare in Zion the word of God." The founders of my country saw a new promised land and bestowed upon their towns names like Bethlehem and New Canaan. And in time, many Americans became passionate advocates for a Jewish state.

"Centuries of suffering and sacrifice would pass before this dream was fulfilled. The Jewish people endured the agony of the pogroms, the tragedy of the Great War, and the horror of the Holocaust - what Elie Wiesel called "the kingdom of the night." Soulless men took away lives and broke apart families. Yet they could not take away the spirit of the Jewish people, and they could not break the promise of God. When news of Israel's freedom finally arrived, Golda Meir, a fearless woman raised in Wisconsin, could summon only tears. She later said: "For two thousand years we have waited for our deliverance. Now that it is here it is so great and wonderful that it surpasses human words."

"The joy of independence was tempered by the outbreak of battle, a struggle that has continued for six decades. Yet in spite of the violence, in defiance of the threats, Israel has built a thriving democracy in the heart of the Holy Land. You have welcomed immigrants from the four corners of the Earth. You have forged a free and modern society based on a love of liberty, a passion for justice, and a respect for human dignity. You have worked tirelessly for peace. And you have fought valiantly for freedom.

"My country's admiration for Israel does not end there. When Americans look at Israel, we see a pioneer spirit that worked an agricultural miracle and now leads a high-tech revolution. We see world-class universities and a global leader in business, innovation, and the arts. And we see a resource more valuable than oil or gold - the talent and determination of a free people who refuse to let any obstacle stand in the way of their destiny.

"I have been fortunate to see the character of Israel up close. I have touched the Western Wall, seen the sun reflected in the Sea of Galilee, and prayed at Yad Vashem. Earlier today, I visited Masada, an inspiring monument to courage and sacrifice. At this historic site, Israeli soldiers swear an oath: "Masada shall never fall again." Citizens of Israel: Masada shall never fall again, and America will always stand with you.

"This anniversary is a time to reflect on the past. It is also an opportunity to look to the future. As we go forward, our alliance will be guided by clear principles - shared convictions rooted in moral clarity and unswayed by popularity polls or the shifting opinion of international elites.

"We believe in the matchless value of every man, woman, and child. So we insist that the people of Israel have the right to a decent, normal, and peaceful life, just like the citizens of every other nation.

"We believe that democracy is the only way to ensure human rights. So we consider it a source of shame that the United Nations routinely passes more human rights resolutions against the freest democracy in the Middle East than any other nation in the world.

"We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to civilized society. So we condemn anti-Semitism in all forms - whether by those who openly question Israel's right to exist, or by others who quietly excuse them.

"We believe that free people should strive and sacrifice for peace. So we applaud the courageous choices Israel's leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction.

"We believe that targeting innocent lives to achieve political objectives is always and everywhere wrong. So we stand together against terror and extremism, and we will never let down our guard or lose our resolve.

"The fight against terror and extremism is the defining challenge of our time. It is more than a clash of arms. It is a clash of visions, a great ideological struggle. On one side are those who defend the ideals of justice and dignity with the power of reason and truth. On the other side are those who pursue a narrow vision of cruelty and control by committing murder, inciting fear, and spreading lies.

"This struggle is waged with the technology of the 21st century, but at its core it is the ancient battle between good and evil. The killers claim the mantle of Islam, but they are not religious men. No one who prays to the God of Abraham could strap a suicide vest to an innocent child, or blow up guiltless guests at a Passover Seder, or fly planes into office buildings filled with unsuspecting workers. In truth, the men who carry out these savage acts serve no higher goal than their own desire for power. They accept no God before themselves. And they reserve a special hatred for the most ardent defenders of liberty, including Americans and Israelis.

"That is why the founding charter of Hamas calls for the "elimination" of Israel. That is why the followers of Hezbollah chant "Death to Israel, Death to America!" That is why Osama bin Laden teaches that "the killing of Jews and Americans is one of the biggest duties." And that is why the president of Iran dreams of returning the Middle East to the Middle Ages and calls for Israel to be wiped off the map.

"There are good and decent people who cannot fathom the darkness in these men and try to explain their words away. This is natural. But it is deadly wrong. As witnesses to evil in the past, we carry a solemn responsibility to take these words seriously. Jews and Americans have seen the consequences of disregarding the words of leaders who espouse hatred. And that is a mistake the world must not repeat in the 21st century.

"Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided." We have an obligation to call this what it is - the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

"Some people suggest that if the United States would just break ties with Israel, all our problems in the Middle East would go away. This is a tired argument that buys into the propaganda of our enemies, and America rejects it utterly. Israel's population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong, because America stands with you.

"America stands with you in breaking up terrorist networks and denying the extremists sanctuary. And America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. Permitting the world's leading sponsor of terror to possess the world's deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

"Ultimately, to prevail in this struggle, we must offer an alternative to the ideology of the extremists by extending our vision of justice and tolerance, freedom and hope. These values are the self-evident right of all people, of all religions, in all of the world because they are a gift from Almighty God. Securing these rights is also the surest way to secure peace. Leaders who are accountable to their people will not pursue endless confrontation and bloodshed. Young people with a place in their society and a voice in their future are less likely to search for meaning in radicalism. And societies where citizens can express their conscience and worship their God will not export violence, they will be partners for peace.

"This fundamental insight, that freedom yields peace, is the great lesson of the 20th century. Now our task is to apply it in the 21st. Nowhere is this work more urgent than here in the Middle East. We must stand with the reformers working to break the old patterns of tyranny and despair. We must give voice to the millions of ordinary people who dream of a better life in freedom. We must confront the moral relativism that views all forms of government as equally acceptable and thereby consigns whole societies to slavery. Above all, we must have faith in our values and ourselves and confidently pursue the expansion of liberty as the path to a peaceful future.

"That future will be a dramatic departure from the Middle East of today. So as we mark 60 years from Israel's founding, let us envision the region 60 years from now. This vision will not arrive easily or overnight, and it will encounter violent resistance from our enemies. But if we and future Presidents and Knessets maintain our resolve and have faith in our ideals, here is the Middle East we can see:

"Israel will be celebrating its 120th anniversary as one of the world's great democracies, a secure and flourishing homeland for the Jewish people. The Palestinian people will have the homeland they have long dreamed of and deserved - a democratic state that is governed by law, respects human rights, and rejects terror. From Cairo and Riyadh to Baghdad and Beirut, people will live in free and independent societies, where a desire for peace is reinforced by ties of diplomacy, tourism, and trade. Iran and Syria will be peaceful nations, where today's oppression is a distant memory and people are free to speak their minds and develop their talents. And al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Hamas will be defeated, as Muslims across the region recognize the emptiness of the terrorists' vision and the injustice of their cause.

"Overall, the Middle East will be characterized by a new period of integration and tolerance. This does not mean that Israel and its neighbors will be best friends. But when leaders across the region answer to their people, they will focus their energies on schools and jobs, not on rocket attacks and suicide bombings. With this change, Israel will open a hopeful new chapter in which its people can live a normal life, and the dream of Herzl and the founders of 1948 can be fully and finally realized.

"This is a bold vision, and some will say it can never be achieved. But think about what we have witnessed in our own time. When Europe was destroying itself through total war and genocide, it was difficult to envision a continent that six decades later would be free and at peace. When Japanese pilots were flying suicide missions into American battleships, it seemed impossible that six decades later Japan would be a democracy, a lynchpin of security in Asia, and one of America's closest friends. And when waves of refugees arrived here in the desert with nothing, surrounded by hostile armies, it was almost unimaginable that Israel would grow into one of the freest and most successful nations on Earth.

"Yet each one of these transformations took place. And a future of transformation is possible in the Middle East too, so long as a new generation of leaders has the courage to defeat the enemies of freedom, make the hard choices necessary for peace, and stand firm on the solid rock of universal values.

"Sixty years ago, on the eve of Israel's independence, the last British soldiers departing Jerusalem stopped at a building in the Jewish quarter of the Old City. An officer knocked on the door and met a senior rabbi. The officer presented him with a short iron bar - the key to Zion Gate - and said it was the first time in 18 centuries that a key to the gates of Jerusalem had belonged to a Jew. His hands trembling, the rabbi offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God, "Who had granted us life and permitted us to reach this day." Then he turned to the officer, and uttered the words Jews had awaited for so long: "I accept this key in the name of my people."

"Over the past six decades, the Jewish people have established a state that would make that humble rabbi proud. You have raised a modern society in the Promised Land, a light unto the nations that preserves the legacy of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And you have built a mighty democracy that will endure forever and can always count on America to stand at its side. May God bless Israel.''

Monday, May 19, 2008

All night pirith chanting with the participation of 2500 members of the Maha Sangha to invoke blessings on the President, the government, the war heroes and the nation, was held at the BMICH yesterday.

The Sangha from all parts of the country joined in chanting pirith. This is the first time that such a pirith chanting was organised in Sri Lanka's history. The Defence Ministry, the Armed Forces and the Police jointly organised this pirith chanting. Members of the Sangha were conducted in a procession to the BMICH from the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress. Thereafter, the chanting of pirith took place in a gaily decorated "Pirith Mandapa". The chanting of pirith ended this morning. The chanting of pirith commenced under the patronage of President Rajapakse. Chancellor of the Kelaniya University the Ven. Dr. Welamitiyawe Kusaladhamma thera delivered the main anusasana. Among those who participated were parliamentarians, heads of state establishments, public officials, officers of the Armed Forces and the Police and a large number of devotees.

Iran will provide oil at a concessionary rate of $110 per barrel to Sri Lanka until July under an agreement signed during the recent visit to the South Asian nation by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Speaking at the weekly cabinet briefing, Sri Lankan Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana said that though oil prices are increasing in the world market, ’with this relief measure, the country has been able to save nearly $1,500 million under this agreement’, according to Fars News Agency.A committee appointed by the Sri Lankan president is studying world oil price fluctuations to find out ways of providing relief for consumers.

“We do not want to place burdens on ordinary masses and have not taken any decision to increase fuel prices,“ he said. “Once the expansion of the Sapugaskanda oil refinery is completed with Iranian assistance, we can save a huge amount of money spent on oil imports,“ the Sri Lankan minister added.

United We Stand........

Without allowing history to repeat itself, we must draw lessons from history and bear in mind that like in the past vested interests will never give up their efforts to destabilize our nation through intrigue. For them creating dissent is by far the most successful way to achieve their goal. Therefore the political leaders of the government and the opposition together with the military leaders of this country must realize that united we will be able to defeat such disruptive forces powered by vested interests and that divided we will fall prey to their designs. (more)